Page:Native Flowers of New Zealand.djvu/19

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Native Name:—PUAWHANANGA.

Common large-flowered Clematis.

This beautiful climber, one of the finest of the genus, is found throughout the whole of the lowland districts of New Zealand. It is thus a familiar plant to the colonist; and its pure white flowers, often produced in immense abundance, are welcomed as the harbinger of spring. They usually appear in August; but the maximum of bloom is not attained until the end of September. The curious feathery, tassel-like fruits are ripe about the end of the year. Considering the beauty of the plant, it is singular that it is seldom cultivated; but this is perhaps explained by the fact that it is so generally distributed as to be easily obtained in a wild state.

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